The New York Times Connections puzzle for Wednesday, March 18, 2026 — game #1011 — is live now. This daily word-association challenge tasks players with grouping 16 words into four themed categories of four words each. Categories range from straightforward (yellow) to tricky (purple), and the puzzle resets at midnight local time.

Today’s puzzle features words including: REVERB, WINCE, DELAY, SPELL, REALITY, PERIOD, YELL, RAIN, WAH, WHAMMY, STRETCH, PATCH, HOP, BLANK, COAT, CURSE.

### Hints for Today’s Categories (No Spoilers Yet)
Ranked from easiest (yellow) to hardest (purple), here are subtle clues to guide you without giving away answers:

– **Yellow (easiest):** These words all represent a span or duration of time or activity.
– **Green:** Physical or vocal reactions you might have after hitting your toe on furniture.
– **Blue:** Common names for sound-modifying devices guitarists use on their pedalboards.
– **Purple (hardest):** These complete the phrase “___ check” in different contexts (like insurance, fashion, weather, or existential questions).

If these hints aren’t enough, scroll down for the full solutions — but beware of spoilers!

### Full Answers and Categories
Here are today’s Connections groupings:

– **Yellow: Interval** — PATCH, PERIOD, SPELL, STRETCH
(All synonyms for a length of time or a temporary phase.)

– **Green: React to a stubbed toe** — CURSE, HOP, WINCE, YELL
(Typical instinctive responses: swearing, jumping on one foot, grimacing in pain, or shouting.)

– **Blue: Guitar effects pedals** — DELAY, REVERB, WAH, WHAMMY
(Popular stompbox effects that alter guitar tone: echo/delay, room-like ambiance, vocal-like filter, pitch-shifting dive bomb.)

– **Purple: ___ Check** — BLANK, COAT, RAIN, REALITY
(Phrases: blank check (unlimited authority), coat check (cloakroom), rain check (postponed offer), reality check (dose of truth).)

Many players found the purple category the trickiest due to its idiomatic nature, while yellow and green clicked quickly for most. The blue group often required thinking about music gear, which tripped up non-guitarists.

Connections #1011 is considered moderately difficult by community standards, with no widespread reports of one-word misleads or overly obscure themes. If you solved it in four guesses or fewer, congrats on a strong performance!

Play today’s puzzle directly on the NYT Games site or app. Remember, there’s also a Sports Edition variant for sports-themed groupings if you’re looking for more.

How did you do? Share your grid (e.g., using emoji squares: 🟨🟩🟦🟪) in the comments below. Good luck tomorrow!

US President Donald Trump has lashed out at Australia and other allies for failing to commit warships to secure the Strait of Hormuz.

Trump previously called for support to help secure the strait, which has been closed off by Iran.

Trump Lashes Out at Australia, Other Allies

According to 9News, Trump took to his Truth Social account to lash out over the lack of support in a war that has kept him increasingly isolated.

“Because of the fact that we have had such Military Success, we no longer ‘need,’ or desire, the NATO Countries’ assistance — WE NEVER DID! Likewise, Japan, Australia, or South Korea,” he said in his post.

“In fact, speaking as President of the United States of America, by far the Most Powerful Country Anywhere in the World, WE DO NOT NEED THE HELP OF ANYONE!”

His post, in full, can be viewed below.

Donald J. Trump Truth Social Post 11:18 AM EST 03.17.26

The United States has been informed by most of our NATO “Allies” that they don’t want to get involved with our Military Operation against the Terrorist Regime of Iran, in the Middle East, this, despite the fact that almost…

— Commentary Donald J. Trump Posts From Truth Social (@TrumpDailyPosts) March 17, 2026

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Albanese Government Insists No Formal Request Made

Despite Trump insisting that he had spoken to allies regarding his request for warships, Anthony Albanese government has pushed back and said no formal requests have been made regarding the matter.

According to Sky News, Treasurer Jim Chalmers said on Wednesday that “It’s not something that we’ve been considering in terms of sending battleships to the Strait of Hormuz.”

“We get all kinds of requests, but I’m not aware of that being one of them,” he added. “And we’ve made the nature of our military commitment really clear.”

Chalmers reiterated this in an interview with ABC, saying, “There wasn’t a formal request to send ships to the strait.”

“It’s not something that we’ve been considering in the almost daily National Security Committee meetings that have been taking place over the course of the last couple of weeks,” he explained.

Silver- and gold-based exchange-traded funds (ETFs) fell nearly 4% on Wednesday, tracking a mild decline in prices on the MCX. Investors remained cautious as they assessed the potential economic fallout of the Middle East conflict ahead of the upcoming U.S. Federal Reserve policy decision.

The near-term outlook for the yellow metal will hinge on the Federal Reserve’s forward guidance—particularly whether it signals a rate cut this year or opts to hold rates steady amid the evolving geopolitical backdrop.

Also Read | Flexi cap mutual funds record highest inflows for 7 consecutive months. Will the trend continue?

HDFC Silver ETF slipped the most, falling around 4% to hit a day’s low of Rs 233.14 against its previous close of Rs 241.61. Other ETFs in the category declined between 2% and 3%.

Aditya Birla Sun Life Gold ETF fell the most among gold ETFs on Wednesday, dropping nearly 3%, while others were down 1%–2%.

Anup Bhaiya, Founder of Money Honey Wealth Services, told ETMutualFunds that gold steadied around the $5,000 mark amid ongoing geopolitical and inflation uncertainties, while silver consolidated near $79–$80.
He added that this presents a strategic opportunity for investors to accumulate on dips, as both metals retain strong long-term upside potential in a volatile macro environment.
MCX silver futures for May 2026 were down Rs 1,995, or 0.8%, at Rs 2,51,118 per kg. Meanwhile, gold futures for April 2026 delivery declined Rs 336, or 0.2%, to Rs 1,55,649 per 10 grams. Markets are currently pricing in near certainty of a rate hold in the 3.5%–3.75% range.
In international markets, gold prices were largely steady on Wednesday. Spot gold slipped 0.1% to $5,000.77 per ounce as of 0243 GMT, while U.S. gold futures for April delivery also edged down 0.1% to $5,004.60. Spot silver declined 0.4% to $79 per ounce.

Abhishek Bhilwaria, an AMFI-registered MFD at BhilwariaMF, advised that investors should focus on disciplined, consistent investing rather than trying to time current market volatility. He recommended a balanced approach, prioritising large or flexi-cap funds for stability amid global geopolitical risks, while closely tracking U.S. Federal Reserve updates that could shape future trends.

Also Read | Are multiple large & midcap funds hurting your portfolio? Expert suggests tweaks to reach Rs 1.5 crore goal in 15 years

Love Shah, Partner & Principal Officer, ValueX Fund Managers LLP shared with ETMutualFunds that gold remained flat while silver declined close to 4%, with both metals showing a negative bias and higher-for-longer rate expectations and elevated oil prices capped gold, while slowdown concerns weighed on silver’s industrial demand.

Investors may use dips in gold for long-term allocation, though current conditions don’t justify overweight exposure to either metal, Shah further said.

(Disclaimer: Recommendations, suggestions, views and opinions expressed by experts are their own and do not represent the views of The Economic Times.)

If you have any mutual fund queries, message ET Mutual Funds on Facebook or Twitter. We will get them answered by our panel of experts. You can also share your questions at ETMFqueries@timesinternet.in, along with your age, risk profile and Twitter handle.

The rupee fell 3 paise to 92.43 against the US dollar in early trade on Wednesday, weighed down by FII outflows and a stronger greenback amid the raging war in West Asia.

A fall in global crude oil prices and a positive opening at the domestic equity markets prevented a sharper decline in the local unit, according to forex traders.

At the interbank foreign exchange, the local unit opened at 92.42 against the greenback before slipping to 92.43, down 3 paise from its previous close.

The domestic unit on Tuesday hit the lowest intra-day level of 92.47 against the dollar before settling at an all-time low of 92.40, down 12 paise from its previous close.

“The rupee has been in a range for the past few days with 92.50 getting protected by the Reserve Bank but FIIs and oil companies are buying dollars on a consistent basis,” Anil Kumar Bhansali, Head of Treasury and Executive Director, Finrex Treasury Advisors LLP, said.

Foreign institutional investors sold equities worth Rs 4,741.22 crore on a net basis on Tuesday, according to exchange data.
Meanwhile, the dollar index, which gauges the greenback’s strength against a basket of six currencies, was trading 0.03 per cent higher at 99.60. Brent crude, the global oil benchmark, was trading 1.32 per cent lower at USD 102.0 per barrel in futures trade.

“The Middle East conflict has not changed for the better and has kept oil above USD 100 while dollar index is still well bid at 99.50 though unable to cross the 100.50-mark,” Bhansali said..

On the domestic equity market front, the Sensex was up 373.53 points, or 0.49 per cent, to 76,444.37, while the Nifty rose 114.40 points, or 0.49 per cent, to 23,695.55. PTI